The Kangaroo and the Possum: A Showdown with the Elements

It was a dark and stormy night, so to speak. The sky was black with clouds. The moon had long since disappeared behind the massive storm that approached from the east. The wind started out softly, but steadily gained power until it was howling through the trees, rattling the windows of every house in the land.

The houses shook violently as flashes of light streaked through the night. Thunder rumbled constantly, each rumble increasing in both depth and volume. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the rain began to fall. Slow at first, but soon it grew heavier and heavier until it poured down without end.

A young kangaroo lay awake in her bed, listening to the thunder as it rolled across the land. She could hear her father moving around downstairs. He'd been pacing for hours now, trying to keep his mind off of the storm. Her mother had long since passed away, and ever since then he'd been quite lonely. He'd eventually found himself a new wife a few years later, but she would often leave him alone in their large home while she went out to parties or other events without him.

He didn't seem to mind too much though; he said that he liked his alone time anyway. He told his daughter that he liked having quiet time to think about things and just enjoy life by himself. She tried her best to agree with him whenever he said it, but privately she thought that he must be quite sad when his wife left him alone like that.

All this ran through her head as she lay awake in bed, trying desperately to sleep away this horrible storm that was raging outside her window. Suddenly there was a knock on her door. "Go back to bed sweetie," came her father's voice from behind the door, "I'm sure you'll have plenty of time tomorrow morning to go out and play."

"Aw dad," she called out into the darkness, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes with one small paw, "you know I'm not tired! This is such an awesome storm!" She paused for a moment before asking, "Can I come see what you're doing?"

Her father sighed audibly before saying quietly so only she could hear him over the howling winds outside their house, "Of course my little love bug." The door creaked open slowly and there he stood; a tall dark shadow against the dark room behind him illuminated intermittently by lightning strikes outside the window on the far wall opposite his sleeping daughter's bed. He had finally stopped pacing and simply stood still beside her bedside now with his arms crossed in front of his chest and a sad look on his face.

"How long do you think this will last daddy?" She asked as she sat up straight in bed and wrapped her tail around herself tightly for warmth during the cold night ahead.

"I don't know honey." He said sadly as he gazed sadly at his daughter through squinted eyes across from him on her bedside; "But I can tell you one thing for sure," he continued as some tears began rolling down his cheeks being washed away by the falling raindrops racing down his furred cheeks towards him mouth which was slightly agape letting them pass unhindered through; "That we're going to need all of our strength if we hope to make it through this one alive."

(END)